MIAMI (AP) 鈥� Ashleigh Hallam teaches English as a second language at her local library in Indiana. Soccer is now teaching her Spanish as a second language.
For her, this World Cup couldn’t make more sense.
Hallam is among a sizable number of English-speaking people in the U.S. who are doing something these days that might be considered a bit surprising: They’re watching broadcasts of World Cup matches even though they have little idea 鈥� or in some cases, no idea 鈥� what the announcers are saying.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 really understand everything they鈥檙e saying on Telemundo because they鈥檙e speaking in Spanish,鈥� Hallam said. 鈥淏ut you understand what鈥檚 going on.鈥�
The math is simple. Census figures show that about 20% of the U.S. is Hispanic, yet Telemundo points to Nielsen ratings to show that roughly half the World Cup viewers in the U.S. have watched at least some portion of some matches in Spanish. Every match of the tournament has been available for U.S. viewers in English on Fox or FS1, on Telemundo or Universo in Spanish, and there are streaming options such as Fox One or Peacock.
Among the reasons commonly cited by viewers who spoke with The Associated Press in recent days: A fascination with 鈥溌oooooool!鈥� call. Telemundo doesn’t cut away for commercials (as Fox does) during the The broadcasts, some simply find, are more entertaining. And in other cases, it’s a cost-based decision: Peacock, which includes Telemundo, is lower-priced than Fox One.
Soccer as a global language, transcending a limited vocabulary
Jackson Braunius is a Michigan native who watched a U.S. game last week from a bar seat at a steakhouse in Miami Lakes, Florida. He said he speaks almost no Spanish 鈥� 鈥淚 know 鈥榗erveza,鈥欌�� he said, tapping his beer glass 鈥� but didn’t mind watching on Telemundo whatsoever.
鈥淚 figured out the science here,鈥� Braunius said. 鈥淲hen they鈥檙e not talking too loud, nothing is happening. When they get loud, there鈥檚 a chance. When they get real loud, it鈥檚 probably going to be a goal.鈥�
has been hosting World Cup watch parties on YouTube. He’s made the switch to Spanish-language feeds, and the hydration break issue was a huge part of that decision.
鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing the players on the pitch discussing what鈥檚 happening. You see which coach is more stressed. Some players are tapping each other on the back. This is part of the game,鈥� Noah said on one of his YouTube streams. 鈥淚 feel like when you cut to ads, you lose this 鈥� you lose the stress, you lose the joy, the anticipation. So, shout out again, Telemundo: Really, really amazing coverage.鈥�
Telemundo is hearing the praise, and has thanked English-speakers 鈥� as well as Noah directly 鈥� for lauding its coverage.
The good news for everyone is this: There seems to be more than enough viewers to go around right now. And the success of this tournament could lead to a bidding war for the 2030 World Cup, with some reporting the rights for English-speaking and Spanish-speaking television will be packaged together in that deal. That wasn’t the case for this World Cup.
Fox Sports said that Monday night’s total of around 41 million at one point, making it the 鈥渕ost-watched soccer telecast in U.S. history,鈥� the network said. In other words, the final U.S. game in this World Cup had more viewers than anything in this country since the Super Bowl 鈥� with at least 45 million viewers, on average, between Fox (33 million) and Telemundo (an estimated 12 million). The most recent Super Bowl drew an average of about 125 million viewers, according to Nielsen data.
Anglophones become hooked on Telemundo
William Kennedy of Miami is married to a Colombian woman, whose native language is Spanish. He says he knows only enough Spanish to be able to order meals in restaurants. And yet, he finds himself often watching World Cup matches on Telemundo.
If Colombia was on, the Kennedy house was watching Telemundo. If Colombia 鈥� which was ousted in penalty kicks by Switzerland on Tuesday 鈥� isn’t on, Kennedy finds himself usually making his way to Telemundo anyway.
鈥淲hen the American commentators are doing the game, I don鈥檛 know what game they鈥檙e watching. I just don鈥檛,鈥� Kennedy said. 鈥淚鈥檇 rather get the excitement in Spanish because essentially what happens is they鈥檙e talking, and then they鈥檙e talking really, really fast, and then they鈥檙e getting loud and your brain is just like, 鈥極h, something鈥檚 happening 鈥� even if I don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 happening.鈥欌��
Hallam 鈥� who finds the World Cup has been a great way to bond further with her Spanish-speaking students 鈥� only became a big soccer fan a few years ago, when her daughter decided she wanted to play The league needed coaches, so Hallam literally checked out a 鈥渃oaching for dummies鈥� book and began teaching herself the game.
She kept coaching her daughter all the way through high school. Now, she’s hooked on soccer and hooked on Spanish-speaking broadcasts 鈥� and plans to keep watching, even when the World Cup ends.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just very comforting,鈥� Hallam said. 鈥淲e’re really enjoyed it and I hope we get to continue. The next World Cup, we鈥檙e going to watch it just like this.鈥�
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Lamy reported from Indianapolis.
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